Iowa DNR
Iowa DNR
ADBNet
Water Quality Assessments
Impaired Waters List

Fourmile Lake IA 04-UDM-1752

Emmett County S18T99NR34W 3.5 mi W of Estherville.

Cycle
2024
Release Status
Final
Overall IR
5 - Water is impaired or threatened and a TMDL is needed.
Trophic
Hypereutrophic
Trend
Stable
Created
11/14/2023 3:11:45 PM
Updated
1/4/2024 8:02:43 AM
Use Support
Class BLW
Aquatic Life - Lakes and wetlands
Not Supported
Support Level
Not Supported
Impairment Code
5a - Pollutant-caused impairment. TMDL needed.
Cause Magnitude
Moderate
Status
Continuing
Source
Unknown: Source Unknown
Source Confidence
N/A
Cycle Added
2022
Impairment Rationale
Significantly > 10% of samples fail to meet criterion
Data Source
Ambient monitoring: Iowa DNR-shallow lakes & wetlands
TMDL Priority
Tier IV
Class HH
Human Health -
Not Assessed
Impairment Delistings
No delistings for this assessment cycle.
Documentation
Assessment Summary

The Class BLW use was assessed as "not supported" due to violations of the class BLW criteria for dissolved oxygen. All other designated uses were “not assessed.”

Assessment Explanation

Data Sources:

Data Source

Data Source ID

Data Type

Data Age

Site ID

Site Name

Site Description

Iowa DNR

6

WQ

CY 2018-2019

22320008

Four Mile Lake

Class BLW – Shallow Lake TSI:

Site ID

Data Source ID

Parameter Name

# Samples / # Years

Minimum Value

Maximum Value

Median Value

Median TSI Violation?

Assessment Type

Support Level

22320008

6

Chlorophyll a TSI

10 / 2

31

81

52

NO

Evaluated

Full

The TSI value for Secchi depth is not used to evaluate the attainment of the aquatic life use in shallow lakes. Due to the depth of these shallow lakes, TSI values for Secchi depth can be misleading. In some instances, the Secchi disk remains visible at the bottom of the lake and the depth of the lake is recorded as the Secchi depth. In these instances, water clarity may be sufficient to support the Class BLW use, but the index value is limited by the depth of the lake. Thus, the combination of total suspended solids and chlorophyll a was used to determine whether or not the Class BLW use was impaired in these shallow systems.

Class BLW - Binomial Parameters:

Site ID

Data Source ID

Parameter Name

# Samples / # Years

Minimum Value

Maximum Value

Mean Value

# Violations

# Acute / Chronic Violations

Violations needed for impairment

Violates Significantly >10% Rule?

Assessment Type

Support Level

22320008

6

Dissolved Oxygen

10 / 2

0.27

6.54

2.06

9

NA / NA

3

YES

Mon

Not

22320008

6

pH

10 / 2

6.76

7.56

7.09

0

NA / NA

3

NO

Mon

Full

22320008

6

Temperature

10 / 2

10.8

27.1

19.3

0

NA / NA

3

NO

Mon

Full

Class BLW - Protection of Submerged Aquatic Vegetation:

Site ID

Data Source ID

Parameter Name

# Samples / # Years

Minimum Value

Maximum Value

Median Value

Median Value >= SAV

Assessment Type

Support Level

22320008

6

Total suspended solids

10 / 2

4

64

14.5

NO

Evaluated

Full

Guidelines for wetland assessment from the Upper Mississippi River Conservation Committee’s Water Quality Technical Section (2003) state that a median total suspended solids concentration during the growing season of less than 30 mg/L is necessary to provide sufficient water clarity to support the growth of submersed aquatic vegetation (SAV) in wetlands and shallow lakes. High levels of total suspended solids impede the growth of SAV. SAV is critical to the health of wetland and shallow lake ecosystems. The elimination of SAV can degrade habitat quality such that undesirable aquatic species such as cyanobacteria, common carp and fathead minnows dominate. As such, the suppression of SAV constitutes a violation of Iowa’s narrative water quality criteria protecting against undesirable or nuisance aquatic life.

Class BLW - Toxic Parameters:

Site ID

Data Source ID

Parameter Name

# Samples / # Years

Maximum Value

Mean Value

Median Value

# Acute / Chronic Violations

>1 Acute / Chronic Violation

Assessment Type

Support Level

22320008

6

Ammonia

5 / 1

1

0.48

0.5

0 / 0

NO

Evaluated

Full

Class HH - No Data

Additional Notes: Restoration activities were completed in 2008 and 2009, which likely contribute to improving water quality at Four Mile Lake.

Monitoring and Methods
Assessment Key Dates
5/14/2018
Monitoring Start
9/10/2019
Monitoring End
Methods
120
Surveys of fish and game biologists/other professionals
200
Physical/Chemical Monitoring
340
Primary producer surveys (phytoplankton/periphyton/macrophyton)